


Echoes of the Past

by Eliabrith



Category: NCIS
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-19
Updated: 2018-08-19
Packaged: 2019-06-29 20:02:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15736401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eliabrith/pseuds/Eliabrith
Summary: When a young Naval Cadet is murdered in a Rhode Island military academy events from DiNozzo's past come back to haunt the team. Set between seasons 1 & 2Written 2004





	1. Part One

**Author's Note:**

> Mentions of rape but off screen as it were.

"Let's go people."

Caitlin looked up from the report she was reading over as Gibbs came down the stairs from the Director's office. "Where?"

"Naval Academy Prep, Newport." Gibbs stopped at his desk to pull on his jacket and grab his weapon.

"Why isn't the local field office dealing with it?" She began gathering the pages of the file up to lock them in her desk.

"Seems there's been a few things happening at the Academy that the instructors aren't happy and when the local office looked into it they decided it wasn't worth investigating. Now a Cadet is dead, and the Academy has asked for an outside investigation team. The Newport office aren't happy but will give us their full co-operation." Gibbs smirked, making his opinion of inter-office co-operation clear and started moving towards the elevator. "Flight leaves at 16:55 that gives you 2 hours to get your stuff and meet us at the airport. I'll get Ducky, you find McGee."

The doors slid closed before she could ask anything else. Sighing she lifted her phone to call the younger agent when he walked through the stairwell door eating a sandwich.

"McGee!" Kate dropped the receiver back into the cradle, grabbed her purse and weapon and started towards him.

He looked up, startled at the shout, almost dropping his lunch. "Yes?"

"We've got a case. We fly to Newport in a couple of hours. Go pack, I'll pick you up and take you to the airport. No point, all of us taking cars there."

"Um.. OK." McGee finished his sandwich and grabbed his backpack and started to fill it. "Ahh, should we leave a note or something for Tony. He's supposed to be back tomorrow isn't he?"

Kate glanced at the desk usually occupied by the sometimes aggravating DiNozzo. "The Director will tell him where we are and why, and either send him after us or keep him here until he catches up on his paperwork."

McGee gave her a quick grin as he closed the bag then glanced at his desk to see if he missed anything before accompanying her to the elevators.

*

"Can I help you sir?" A sentry approached the first of two rental cars stopped at Gate 1 of Newport Naval Base.

"I'm Agent Gibbs of the NCIS this is Agent Todd." Gibbs handed both their ID's out the window for the guard to check while Kate leaned forward in the passenger seat for the guard to see her in the glow of the overhead light. "The other car has Agent McGee, our M.E. Dr. Mallard and his assistant in it."

"Yes Sir. We were told to expect you and ask you to report to the Field office on Meyerkord Ave." The guard handed the ID's back along with a map of the base he produced from his pocket and permits for both cars then to motioned for the gate to be raised, stood back and waved both cars through into the base.

It was quick drive across the bridge to the Coddington Point area of the base where the Academy was located and a simple matter to find the NCIS office there opposite a large sports field.

Gibbs parked the car in a visitor space at the front of the building and got out as McGee pulled into the next space and waited for the others to climb out.

"Agent Gibbs?"

The group turned to face the doors of the field office to see a young Asian man walking towards them.

"Yes."

"I'm Agent Li. The Director asked me to escort you to his office he wants to speak to you before you start."

"Alright." Gibbs gestured for the man to lead the way.

The young agent led the team into the building and up to the Director's office where he motioned for them to enter without him.

A quick glance into the office showed Gibbs a suited man and a uniformed officer sitting at a small conference table to one side of the office, both rose as the team entered.

"Agent Gibbs I presume." The suited man looked at Gibbs. "I'm Director Adams, this is Commander Wood the NAPS Executive Officer."

The Commander nodded at Gibbs then glanced at the others standing behind Gibbs.

"Agents Todd and McGee and Doctor Mallard and his assistant." Gibbs quickly introduced the team.

"Doctor Mallard, perhaps you would like to get a start on the autopsy? The body is down in the morgue."

"It's not at the crime scene?" Ducky frowned.

"No, the previous investigating agent had it brought to the morgue before we asked for you to be brought in. The water polo coach found him in the water early this morning when he opened the pool for an early training session for the water polo team. He removed him from the water before realising there wasn't any hope of reviving him. The scene has been preserved as well as it could be, but it was thought best to bring the body to the morgue rather than leave it in the pool where it was found."

"In that case I think I will get started, if someone will show us the way?"

Adams picked up the phone sitting on the end of the table and spoke into it before looking back at the M.E. "Agent Li will take you and your assistant down to the morgue. Our own team will give you any assistance you require."

"Thank you." Ducky turned to leave the office. "Come along Mr Palmer."

When the door shut behind the pair Adams waved the remaining agents to take a seat at the table.

"I apologise for you having to come all this distance for this." Adams sighed tiredly and scrubbed a hand through his thinning hair. "It seems there have been a few recent problems at the academy, intimidation between students, nothing for us to get involved in so the MP's handled it mostly but they noticed that some of the "pranks" where becoming more serious and focused so when it escalated into vandalism of personal property during break-ins, they requested we look into the matter to give a new perspective. The team I had looking into the matter wrote it off as some bad taste pranks going a bit far and nothing more happened until a week ago when our victim, Nicholas Evans, had his room vandalised, wall defaced and personal effects burned. His roommate's belongings remained untouched. Then this morning the coach found Cadet Evans in the pool. It's looks like he was assaulted in the locker room, blood splatters, damaged contents, graffiti daubed on the walls and it's unlikely his death was suicide so we're looking at either a murder or manslaughter investigation."

"Why rule out suicide before the autopsy?" Kate asked.

"The physical evidence tends to lean that way and it's been my experience most suicides don't go to the bother of tying themselves up Agent Todd. There is one other thing Commander Wood has just brought to my attention. It seems there are several similarities to an old case. We are currently trying to track the file down, but it was over a decade ago, before either of us" Adams nodded to the Commander "were assigned here and most of the General Crimes agents from that time have either retired, relocated or don't remember the case so it may take some time to find the information. In the mean time you have full access to all our resources and the full co-operation of the agents involved. Now I suppose you'd like to see the crime scene before anything else."

"I'd also like to speak to the coach and those first on scene." Gibbs said.

"That can be arranged, I'll send them over to you at the pool building. They can talk you through what they did earlier." Adams reached to the empty chair beside him and lifted a stack of files on to the table. "These are several copies of the preliminary scene report from this morning and the reports from all the earlier incidents you can look through them at your leisure. We've arranged rooms at the BEQ for your stay."

"Thank you." Gibbs lifted the files and handed them to McGee. "If someone would give us directions, we'd like to get started."

"I'll take you over there myself." Wood offered getting to his feet.

"Appreciate that Commander." Gibbs pushed away from the table. "Director." Gibbs gave a curt nod to the tired looking man left at the table.

The short ride to the training pool had been mostly silent with the three agents each reading parts of the preliminary reports, taking notes of any details they'd need to double check and anything else that needed clarified. They were met at the door by the swim coach and the MP's that had been first on the scene. Gibbs left Kate and McGee with them going over their earlier actions, half listening to both discussions as he made his way into the taped off area of the men's locker room where he agreed with the assessment that Evans had been assaulted there.

Opening the file to the appropriate page he glanced though the crime scene report, noting that the Newport team had been very thorough in their observations. He methodically made his way around the room and the attached showers reading bits as he went. After looking through the initial forensics report and deciding they'd covered picked his way across the floor, stepping over dried patches of blood and broken bits of bench he made his way out into the pool area avoiding smaller blood splatters and streaks on the tiles.

As he left the locker room door Gibbs could see graffiti painted on the walls, various homophobic slurs. Gibbs turned his attention to the pool and looked for the right page in the report.

"The body was about 10 feet out from this end and roughly in the middle."

Gibbs looked over to a door beyond the locker rooms leading to the entranceway to see a blond man in his mid 30's leaning against the frame. "And you are?"

"Agent Jeffrey Shaw. I'm..."

"The agent that compiled the report." Gibbs closed the file as Shaw took a couple of steps further into the room and let the door swing shut.

"And you're Agent Gibbs from DC." Shaw gave Gibbs a smirk.

"Hey," Gibbs held up a hand. "I'm not trying to step on any toes, we're all working on the same side here."

"Sure." Shaw shrugged pale grey eyes locked on Gibbs.

"It's good work." Gibbs walked towards the younger agent. "Think you covered everything possible."

"Thank you, sir. If there's anything at all you need while you're here let me know." Shaw gave him an odd little smile.

"Agent Shaw?" Commander Wood opened foyer door and stepped in. "Agent Todd would like to speak with you now."

"Of course. Agent Gibbs." Shaw nodded at Gibbs then walked past Wood and out the door. Gibbs and Wood both watched the door shut behind him, Gibbs with a slight frown.

"He can be a bit odd at times I'm told. Likes to be the best at everything apparently, his team like him, he gets the jobs done and it reflects well on them, but he tends to rub some of the other agents the wrong way, stepping on toes that sort of thing or" Wood shrugged slightly. "So, I'm told."

Gibbs raised an eyebrow at the tone.

"Ah, my wife works in the secretarial pool at the Field Office, she doesn't like him much. Wood admitted a bit sheepishly.

"Adams mentioned you knew of a similar case?"

"It may not be relevant I don't even know how similar it was. The incident happened the year before I transferred here so I only heard bits about it."

"Tell me what you remember anyway, we're not going to get much further on this tonight and we'll see how relevant it might be when Adams finds the file."

"Thirteen years ago, a kid was beaten half to death for being "a faggot"." Wood motioned his head towards the wall with the graffiti. "I can't even remember the kids name, if I even heard it, apparently he was a good student one of the best that year. Good grades, athletic, was on several of the sports teams. Coach Wilson found him alive locked in a basement storeroom in the auxiliary gym, building 302, late on graduation day. Most of the students and their parents had already left so there weren't many people about to question. I don't remember anything else other than he backed out of going to Annapolis, some of the instructors thought that was a shame. As far as I know the case was never closed I'll ask some of the other staff if Adams doesn't find the file and see what I can find in our own records but I'm not sure who'd remember anything more

"What about the coach. Wilson?"

"He died about two years back about a week after he retired."

"Thank you, Commander. We'll give Adams a chance to find the file before you need worry." Gibbs made his way back out to the entranceway to see Agent Shaw leaving with two other young agents, Kate and McGee staring after them in frustration. "Helpful bunch?"

Kate made a face before replying. "Coach Leeson and the MP's were. They're furious this happened and want it solved as soon as possible. Our colleagues" She put emphasis on the title. "Remind me of kids who've had their favourite toy taken away, they weren't very talkative, but I think we did cover most of it."

Gibbs rubbed the bridge of his nose and squinted at his watch. "It's almost ten we'll call it a day and start interviews tomorrow." He turned back to the XO. "I trust it won't be a problem talking to the students?"

"None at all. You can use one of the empty offices in Nimitz Hall. If you don't mind, I'll show you to your rooms at the BEQ now."

After a quick stop at the Field office to collect Ducky and Palmer, Commander Wood led the way down a corridor in the BEQ leading to the rooms reserved for the agents.

"It'll be quiet here; the students can only get access to the rooms at weekends. There's plenty of places for you to get something to eat on base without resorting to the student’s galley, there's a pizza delivery place, a McDonald's and a couple of decent snack bars and delis at the NEX and its annex." Wood stopped outside a door near the end of the corridor and fished in an envelope he'd picked up at the Field Office for the right key. "We put some stuff in one of the rooms to give you an office space for you to work in and Director Adams provided a computer." Wood pushed the door open to reveal a large table with chairs around it, a whiteboard, a computer and an all in one printer on a separate desk and a coffee pot on a second desk, then handed the key and envelope to Gibbs. "The other keys are for the two rooms on either side of this one and the three across the way. If you need anything else don't hesitate to contact either Director Adams or myself. Goodnight." Wood nodded to them and made his way back down the corridor.

Gibbs moved into the room and dropped his overnight bag and the files on the table before slumping in the closest seat.

"What did the autopsy give us Duck?"

The others moved into the room each taking a seat while Ducky fished out his notes.

"The toxicology results won't be ready until tomorrow, but the cause of death was drowning. He'd been beaten by some instrument heavily enough to cause broken ribs a ruptured spleen and internal bleeding. He'd probably have died within a few hours without the dip. I'd put the time of death at around 3 this morning."

"Raped?"

Ducky grimaced. "Not by a person, however there was considerable bruising and tearing to the anus and surrounding area. I'd say they assaulted him using some wooden implement." At McGee's look of confusion, he added "It left splinters."

"The bench slats."

"Hmm?" Ducky turned back to Gibbs.

"Some of the bench slats had been broken off. They'd be about an inch and a half square."

"Sounds likely, I'd need to compare samples of course." Ducky set the pages on top of the files.

"Tomorrow. Kate, McGee you take the rooms either side of this one. Duck, you and Palmer take the two across the way nearest the corridor end." Gibbs tipped the keys out of the envelope onto the table letting everyone find their own while he took the stack of files to the computer desk to lock in the drawer listening to the others head to their rooms. Pocketing the drawer key, he turned back to lift his bag and the keys for both his room and the makeshift office when there was a knock at the open door. Looking up he saw the young Asian agent from earlier standing in the doorway an old file clutched in his hand.

"Agent Li, what can I do for you?"

"Director Adams asked me to bring you this file. He thought you might find it interesting." Li walked into the room and handed the file to Gibbs before turning to leave. "Goodnight Sir.

"Thanks."

"That the other case file?" Kate stuck her head back in the door.

"Yeah." Gibbs flipped it open to the front page and froze.

"Gibbs?" She moved into the room in concern as Gibbs paled. "You OK?"

"Uh.. yeah, fine." He shut the file before she could look at it. "Just tired." He gave her a tight smile that did nothing to reassure her. "Night." He stuck the file in the top of his bag and left the room before she could question him again.

Following his out she found him standing unmoving outside his door.

"Here." He turned pulling one of the keys off the ring for the office and handing it to her. "Lock the door when you're finished." Then pushed his own door open and walked in.

"Gibbs?" Kate frowned as he kicked the door closed behind him without answering.

"Problem Caitlin?"

She looked round to see Ducky at his own door with his collar unbuttoned and bow tie hanging loose about his neck.

"Agent Li just left over a file of an old case that has some supposed similarities to this one. Gibbs took a look at it and went pale then wouldn't let me see it or talk to me."

"Odd but he'll tell you if it's anything to do with the case. I wouldn't worry too much about it." He patted her on the arm and gave her a quick smile. "Now I'd get some sleep. He'll probably have us up at some God-awful hour of the morning."

"True. Night Ducky." She moved across the corridor to lock the office as Ducky closed his door. At her room she paused and frowned across at Gibbs' closed door before stepping inside and locking her own door.

End Part 1.

Finished 29/12/2004


	2. Part Two

The door to the "office" was open, releasing the smell of percolating coffee, when Gibbs emerged yawning from his room the next morning. He had spent the night reading and re-reading the file; half hoping it was some sick joke. He paused in the doorway watching the room's only occupant slumped at the table staring unseeingly out the window while tearing a pastry sitting on the table in front of him to pieces.

"What the hell are you doing here DiNozzo?" Gibbs inwardly winced at his tone as the younger man jumped in surprise.

"I'm hurt boss. You sound like you don't want me here." Tony pouted as he turned around to look at Gibbs. "And I even brought you breakfast." He nudged a box of pastries sitting in the middle of the table towards Gibbs.

"Still doesn't explain what you're doing here." Gibbs stared pointedly at DiNozzo not moving from the doorway.

"Director Morrow called me last night, told me where you'd all gone and sent me after you. Flight got in an hour and a half ago. I stopped in at the NCIS Offices and got given the results for the tox. report and forensics tests for you. Then I stopped off at the NEX to get some breakfast and came here. Kate has gone in search of something other than pastry seems they're not healthy enough for her." He smirked.

"Anything else you want to tell me about?" Gibbs raised an eyebrow and finally moved into the room pushing the door closed behind him causing Tony to frown slightly.

"Anything in particular? Cause I think we've covered most of my day so far."

Gibbs took a seat at the table and silently pushed the old file towards the other man who picked it up, looked at the numbered cover with interest, opened it then dropped it back down on the table.

"Oh."

"Oh?" Gibbs watched as DiNozzo's face paled and all emotion drained from his normally expressive eyes.

"What do you want me to say?" Tony met Gibbs' eyes squarely.

"I dunno. Why didn't you ever mention it?"

Tony shrugged eyes flickering down to the file before looking back at Gibbs. "Past history. Besides I figured it would probably have shown up in the background check you ran."

Gibbs shook his head. "The first I knew about it was when I opened the file. I'm hoping Morrow didn't know either or he wouldn't have sent you here." He sighed and looked away from the younger agent aware of him getting to his feet and throwing the twisted remains of the pastry in the bin.

"You want my resignation before I leave?" The question asked in a flat toneless voice took a moment to sink in though Gibbs thoughts.

"What?!" Gibbs swung round to find DiNozzo standing near the door. "Why?" He shook his head. "No. I don't want you to resign DiNozzo. Sit back down." He pushed the nearest chair out for DiNozzo to take watching him carefully as he sat. "I don't want you to resign but I'm not sure you should be here for this."

DiNozzo began to look confused. "Why not? I mean if you don't want me to resign why can't I work the case. That" He pointed at the file. "Is ancient history. It's never caused a problem on any cases before."

"Did Kate tell you anything about the case?"

"No. She let me in and left me to start the coffee while she when to get something else to eat."

"OK." Gibbs nodded and moved the to desk where he had locked the files the night before. "Basically there are a lot of similarities between what happened to Evans and what happened to you with one clear difference. That you're still here to be able to have this conversation." He set the files on the table beside Tony for him to read and picked up the tox. report and forensics results glancing through the pages noting a number of other similarities between the two cases. Setting the new papers down Gibbs walked to the coffee pot and poured two cups one plain the other milk and sugar before returning to his seat. He set DiNozzo's mug in front of him and settled back to watch him glance through the files while helping himself to the pastries. After a while DiNozzo looked up again.

"I'd like to stay."

"OK."

"OK?" Tony raised an eyebrow surprised at Gibbs' easy capitulation.

"OK with a couple of conditions. One, if this causes problems you tell me immediately. Two, you do not go anywhere on your own. There are too many similarities between the cases for it to be complete coincidence. Which means either it's the same killer or they know about the earlier... about the attack on you."

"Which means we need to tell the others don't we?" Tony closed his eyes and leaned his head against the chair back.

"We could give them an edited version." Tony's head snapped up to stare at Gibbs in shock. "Give them a copy of the file but we remove your name that way they have all the facts same as any John Doe investigation."

"That wouldn't be a problem later?"

"Technically we're investigating the death of Nicholas Evans not re-opening a cold case as that isn't our area of expertise. It just so happens that there was a previous case with a similar MO that might help. If it's a copycat most of the base personnel would not have access to the details needed to recreate the attack. It's just one possible line of enquiry. So no I don't think it should cause any real problems." Gibbs glanced at the door as he heard a door close the corridor. "Can you use that thing?" He pointed behind DiNozzo at the all in one printer.

"Yeah."

"Show me how to make it copy this then we'll deal with the other." Gibbs lifted the DiNozzo file and followed Tony to the printer where a couple of minutes later they had it spitting out a duplicate of each page of the file. Gibbs took his coffee and the file back to the table where he took one of the whiteboard markers and began to censor the photocopy while Tony threw his mangled pastry in the bin and picked another out of the box to enjoy with his coffee while Gibbs worked.

"DiNozzo!" Tony flinched at Kate's yell from out in the corridor. "Open the door Gibbs has the only other key and Gibbs is..."

"In here working." Tony interrupted as he opened the door. "Would it kill you to ask politely?"

Kate looked at DiNozzo seeing that the cocky grin didn't quite reach his eyes. "You OK?"

"I'm fine." He frowned at her slightly. "It was just a rather early flight." The smirk returned. "Find anything to eat?"

Kate just pushed past him into the room without answering.

"We got anything new?"

Gibbs pointed to the new sheaf of papers at the other end of the table. "The tox. reports are in as are the crime scene forensics. Why don't you go through them? DiNozzo, you finish the rest of the files and get yourself up to speed." Gibbs turned his attention back to rechecking the censored file.

"Good morning Jethro, Caitlin, oh and Anthony nice of you to join us."

"Hey Duck."

"Tony?" McGee followed the M.E. into the room, angling for the coffeepot.

"McGee." DiNozzo muttered in reply as he frowned at the files in front of him. "This doesn't make sense."

"What doesn't?" Kate tilted her head to peer at the files.

"Why all the petty incidents then suddenly kill him? They're geared towards intimidation, having some sort of power over the victim, why kill him?" DiNozzo flicked through the various reports.

"Maybe he wouldn't give in to them and they stepped up the intimidation and took it too far?" McGee suggested as he dug through the box of pastries.

"I don't think so." Tony shook his head. "All the others are fairly crude, all out in the open where others can see, no attempt made to hide but with the murder... there's no obvious entry into the training pool, the doors where all secured when the coach arrived to open up. There was no sign of anything outside the locker room and pool. The killer was very careful not to leave any clue to their identity. They can't have cleaned up afterwards, there's too much of a mess left, so they must have been well prepared."

Gibbs had put the copied pages in order, pushed them into the proper file cover and folded the original papers into the inside pocket of his jacket while the agents talked.

"DiNozzo grab your stuff, you can leave it in my room till we sort one out for you. Then we'll go and check in with Commander Wood as about interviewing the cadets."

DiNozzo made a face.

"That a problem DiNozzo?"

"No boss. Just gonna take a while, what with there being over 300 students."

"We'd best get started then, hadn't we?"

"Yes boss." Tony grabbed the overnight bag he'd left beside the computer desk and followed Gibbs out into the hall where Gibbs opened the bedroom door for him.

Gibbs then leaned back into the office. "Kate there does seem to be multiple similarities between this murder and the one thirteen years ago, the file is there at the end of the table, look it over and finish your breakfast then meet us at the NAPS building for interviewing Evans' classmates. Ready?" The last was to DiNozzo as he came back into the corridor and closed the bedroom door.

"Have fun with the files Katie." DiNozzo called back into the room before they started down the corridor.

Ignoring DiNozzo's mocking comment Kate pulled the file towards her and flicked it open frowning in confusion at the black areas in the first page where the victim’s details should have been. Only the sex, height and year of birth where readable the rest of the personal details had been scored out. A quick glance through the other pages showed similar censorship of the names.

"Gibbs.. this file's been censored." She looked up at the empty doorway. "Gibbs?"

McGee stuck his head out of the door. "They've gone." He wandered back to the table to lean over her shoulder.

"Why would the field office censor the file?"

"Maybe they didn't." McGee took a page and peered at it closely. "It's a copy not the original. There's no indentation for the signature. We can call in and maybe get the original from the office later."

"May I see the medical reports Caitlin?" Ducky requested.

Kate separated the medical report from the crime scene reports and statements then handed them across to the M.E. who began comparing them to the autopsy results from the day before.

Kate looked back at the rest of the pages with their blacked out lines and started reading, passing the pages to McGee when she finished them.

The three of them worked their way through the reports while drinking their coffee and eating pastries.

Gibbs and DiNozzo took the car DiNozzo had driven from the airport when Tony pointed out it made sense that he drove as he knew the base better than Gibbs even after thirteen years. The drive to the NAPS building progressed for the first few minutes in silence mostly in silence while Gibbs watched his companion out of the corner of his eye.

"I didn't know you wanted to join the Navy."

"I didn't. Not really"

"Then why did you go here?"

"That was my father's idea I went along with it as the easiest course. I finished High School and wasn't sure what to do afterwards so dear old Dad made the decision for me. He thought time in the services would teach me better discipline and straighten me out." He gave a rueful smile. "In more ways than one."

"Then you are..?"

"More bi-sexual or at least I was."

"Was?"

DiNozzo shot Gibbs an incredulous look as he pulled up in the parking lot in front of Nimitz Hall; Gibbs just looked back at him. Tony sighed. "It took months to become comfortable being around anyone without anxiety attacks and flinching. I was a lot more wary of showing any differences. I was always more attracted to women anyway, so it wasn't much of a stretch to decide to stick with that. Then I became a cop and that's not the most open atmosphere, so I just acted like everyone expected me to and chased women when out with the guys then talked it up the next day."

"You shouldn't have to lie."

"I'm not. Well not really, I'm just not telling the whole truth at times. Besides what about "don't ask, don't tell."?"

Gibbs turned to look through the windshield at the building in front of the car letting the silence stretch between them for a few minutes. "Do you remember anything from that night?"

"No. I remember getting ready to go to the graduation ball and then nothing until I woke up in the hospital three weeks later." Tony drummed his fingers on the top of the wheel and stared up at the NAPS building. "I spoke to therapists for months before I gave up, we even tried hypnotherapy until my father found out. Then I got to go to Europe and visit mom’s family. I think Dad just wanted me out of his way, so I got to travel around Europe until I started Ohio State the next fall."

Gibbs let silence fall between them again for a few moments as he watched Tony stare unfocusedly out the windscreen before opening the car door, getting out and stretching. He leaned back into the car.

"Come on. Let's find Commander Wood and get the interviews started."

DiNozzo jumped slightly and got out the other side. "The offices are on the first floor. Most of the students will be in class in Perry Hall" He waved a hand in the direction they'd come from. "Or in the dorms on the second floor if they have a free period, those that aren't on duty that is."

The pair walked through the double doors into the "Quarter deck" area of Nimitz Hall where three of the student body were standing watch.

"Can I help you sirs?" One of the students seated behind a desk spoke up.

"Agents Gibbs and DiNozzo, NCIS." Gibbs flashed his ID with DiNozzo following suit. "We're looking for Commander Wood's office."

"If you could just sign in sirs, I'll let the Commander know you're here." The young man pushed the sign in book and pen towards the agents and lifted the phone.

Gibbs dashed his signature at the bottom of a column of names and handed the pen to DiNozzo who added his own name and put the time beside their names.

"He'll be with you in a minute." The student put the handset down and glanced at their signatures.

Gibbs stepped away from the desk to wait for the Commander feeling the curious eyes of the students on them.

"Everyone has to sign in?"

"Visitors yes. The students have to sign in and out at certain times. During the day there are so many in and out all the time it wouldn't be possible to note them all but after 22:00 they have to sign out then back in."

"Agent Gibbs?" Wood came through a door at the back the foyer. "Come in." He held the door for the two agents to walk through and led them into his office waving them to take a seat.

"We need to interview the students starting with those that Evans was closest to."

"I did warn the instructors that you'd probably want to speak with his classmates this morning, so it won't be a problem getting them sent over to you in groups. Uh. Where'd you rather do the interviews? There are several empty offices here you can use unless you'd rather do them at the field office?"

"Here will be fine. Keep it less formal for the time being. We'll need the use of two rooms."

"Of course. If you'll follow me." Wood led them out of the office again and along the corridor to the empty offices.

Gibbs walked into the first room. "This will be fine."

"I'll let you get set up and round the first students up for you. His room-mate Ortiz is still here in the common room. I thought you might like to speak to him first, so I asked him to stay here."

"I'd appreciate if you could send him straight down to us. Agents Todd and McGee should be arriving soon."

"I'll let them know where you are." The Commander turned and made his way back along the corridor.

End Part 2.

Finished 30/12/2004


	3. Part Three

Gibbs tried to keep his expression from showing his frustration as the fifteenth student they'd interviewed professed no knowledge of any of the action taken against Evans except what they had heard in gossip. There was a knock on the door just as he was about to dismiss Cadet Singh. DiNozzo left the table to open the door and stepped back to let Commander Wood enter.

"Agent Gibbs, can I have a word?"

"Yes." Gibbs turned back to the Cadet in front of him. "You may go." The three men watched as the teenager left and DiNozzo closed the door behind him. "Commander?"

"I have three students in my office. They heard about the interviews and came to see me. It seems they were the ones responsible for the vandalism in Evans' room and the fights, but they swear they had nothing to do with his death."

Gibbs glanced across to DiNozzo by the door then fixed his gaze back on the Commander. "You believe them?"

"I do. One of them was on watch at gate 4 all night. I took the liberty of checking with the other’s room-mates, they swear that the other two were in their rooms all night and that others can also attest to their presence there for at least part of the night. I would have called for you as soon as they arrived but I didn't realise what they were talking about at first. I left a couple of MP's with them."

"We'll need to speak to them."

"Of course."

Kate and McGee looked up from their interview notes as Gibbs stormed into the room.

"You, out!" Gibbs snapped at the student they had been interviewing. The cadet blanched and hurried out the door almost running DiNozzo over in the process.

Kate waited until DiNozzo closed the door after the fleeing student before asking. "Gibbs?"

Gibbs turned back from where he had stopped, staring out the window. "The earlier problems aren't connected to Evans' death, the threats, the vandalism of his room, none of it. Three cadets just confessed to all those "pranks" including some that never got noticed. When they heard about the investigation into his death they panicked and thought it best to come clean. They also have alibis for the night Evans died."

"So what now?"

"They'll be expelled."

"I meant with the case."

Gibbs ran a hand over his face. "Without the connection of the earlier incidents it narrows the field of suspects considerably down to those that could have a connection or access to the file."

McGee frowned. "But that only leaves NCIS personnel or the original perpetrator."

"Or the original victim." Kate mused.

McGee turned to look at her, both of them missing the look of shock on DiNozzo's face.

"You think that's possible?"

"Yes, it's not unknown for victims to re-enact their own attacks on others. The attack had to have an extremely traumatic effect on his life that would have continued on through the years."

Gibbs kept an eye on DiNozzo as Tony slowly sank into the nearest chair; the younger agent looked pale and shaken.

"He was in a coma for three weeks Kate." Gibbs stated keeping their attention away from DiNozzo. "Enough time for many of the injuries to heal and has no memory of the attack so how he could possibly re-enact it?"

"How do we know that?" Kate turned to face Gibbs getting caught up in her idea.

Gibbs raised an eyebrow. "The doctor's report for one."

"Obviously the coma bit we know," She gave him a look of frustration. "But it's been 13 years who knows what memories may have resurfaced. I think we should look at bringing him in."

"No."

"No? We don't even have a name to go on at the moment he could be anywhere on the base and we'd not know it! He might even have access to the file."

DiNozzo was by now looking on the verge of collapse, face buried in his hands and Gibbs knew that he had to end this.

"I do know the identity of the victim and have already spoken to him. At the time of the crime he was several hundred miles away and has never regained any memory of that night."

"Alright, so where do we go from here?"

"Kate, you get over to the field office find out everyone who has accessed that file in the past thirteen years. McGee, you call the gates and get the sign in lists from the day Evans died and the day before." He waited until both agents had left before walking over to his remaining agent and touched his shoulder. "You okay?"

DiNozzo mumbled something unintelligible into his hands and Gibbs tightened his grip letting his thumb brush the nape of Tony's neck giving him a minute to regain his equilibrium.

"Come on." Gibbs let go and slapped Tony lightly on the back. "Wood said we could have access to the NAPS databases let’s see if we can pull up staff lists form now and back in '91. All the instructors have changed according to Wood but there are large numbers of support staff and they can't all have changed."

DiNozzo scrubbed his hands down his face and nodded. "Okay."

*

The Commander was more than happy to provide them with access to the database and arranged for the office manager to show them the ropes before she and her secretarial team left for lunch.

Gibbs left most of the searching and compiling to DiNozzo while he called the base pizza place to get some food delivered, occasionally reading over his shoulder or studying the pages the printer spat out.

"Gibbs?" McGee walked into the office.

"Though you were getting the sign-in sheets from the gates?" Gibbs frowned at McGee from his current position beside the printer.

"The officer I spoke to said he'd get them all faxed to the office here."

"You can start going through these staff lists of people employed here at the time of both attacks and see if you can find who was here on base two nights ago in while you're waiting. I've got some calls to make." Gibbs handed the staff timetables and ever-growing list of names to the startled man as he passed him on the way out the door.

Gibbs walked across the foyer holding up his phone and pointing to the doors to show the one remaining student that he was just going out to use it.

"Agents Gibbs!"

Gibbs looked up at the shout as he stepped out of Nimitz Hall to see Agent Shaw getting out of a car. He slipped his phone back into his pocket as the other agent approached.

"Agent Shaw what can I do for you?"

"I ran into Agent Todd at the field office she said you'd caught our perps."

"We caught the students responsible for the vandalism but not the murder."

Shaw frowned at this. "You don't think it could be the same people?"

"No, I don't. They don't fit the profile." Shaw opened his mouth to add something, but Gibbs just carried on. "They also have alibis."

"Would you mind if I had a word with them?"

"That's not up to me. The M.P.s made the arrest, you'd have to see them."

"Of course." The blond agent gave Gibbs a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I think I'll go do that. I was part of the team that looked into that, I like to see all the loose ends tied up."

"You do that." Gibbs heard a car pull up and looked back at the parking lot to see Kate get out. Moving to meet her he was aware of Shaw trailing after him.

"Get everything you need?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Let's go then." Gibbs turned and almost ran into Shaw who nodded to them both and began moving to his own car.

"I wondered where he'd disappeared to."

"Shaw?" Gibbs held the door open for Kate to enter.

"Yeah. I ran into him down in the file rooms. He apologised for being uncooperative last night and asked how the investigation was going. I spoke to him for a few minutes while the file clerk was looking up the records for me then he suddenly left without saying anything else. I just turned around to ask him something and he'd gone." She shrugged. "I thought he must have gotten called away."

Gibbs waited while Kate signed back in before continuing the conversion on the way back to the room they'd used earlier.

"What did you find?"

"Very few people ever had access to the file, the original investigating agent checked it out regularly every six months right up until he was killed in the line of duty seven years ago."

"No-one else?" Gibbs shrugged off his jacket and dropped it on the chair DiNozzo had sat in earlier.

"His partner, but he quit when Tyler died and went back to Europe apparently. The last person to check it out was a lab tech when Tyler asked him to go over the forensics in case the original tests missed something but again he hasn't requested since Tyler's death and no-one knows what happened to him at the minute."

"Damn." Gibbs sighed and scrubbed a hand through his hair then plucked his phone out of his jacket pocket. "DiNozzo and McGee should have the staff lists and gate information by now I'll send then down to you, I still need to make the calls I was trying to make when Shaw showed up." he finished as he left the room.

The office door opened far enough for Gibbs to stick his head in. "Kate's back in the interview room. When you get everything together take it down to her and finish going through it there. I'm sure the staff would like their office back when they back from lunch."

"I think we've got everything now the last of the sign-in sheets came through." McGee held up a pile of fax paper.

"Good pack it up then and I'll see you there in a while."

"Where are you going boss?" DiNozzo looked up from his screen.

"Coffee." Gibbs pulled the door shut before DiNozzo could add anything else.

As soon as Gibbs shut the door McGee began gathering up all the pages and sorted them in to some sort of order then crossed the room and picked the sheets off the printer.

"We need anything else?"

"No, I think we've got everything." DiNozzo muttered distractedly not looking up from the screen.

"I'll take this down to Kate then."

"Yeah okay." DiNozzo said automatically, not paying attention to what McGee was saying.

"See you in a couple of minutes?"

"Yeah."

It took several minutes of silence before DiNozzo actually noticed there was something different about the room and looked up from the computer files.

"McGee?" He twisted round to look over at the fax machine and printer where the younger agent had stationed himself earlier. "Shit, Gibbs is going to kill me."

He closed down the many windows he'd opened taking one last look at one of the pictures he'd pulled up; it was the official NAPS class photograph for his year taken during induction. There had been another one taken of the graduating class after the ceremony, but he hadn't been in that one. He'd just closed the final window and put the computer into Stand-by mode when the door opened.

"Agent DiNozzo?"

"Uh yeah?" He looked up not recognising the voice frowning slightly when he didn't recognise the speaker either. "Can I help you?"

"Actually, I was going to ask you that." The stranger smiled and came further into the office

"No I'm all done here, thanks." Tony shrugged into his jacket and picked up his phone from the where it was sitting beside the keyboard.

He dropped it again when the heavy blow to the back of his head sent him to his knees.

*

After speaking to DiNozzo and McGee Gibbs made his way to the break room the instructors used following the directions Wood's PA had given him earlier.

Finding the room empty he moved to the coffee machine sniffing in appreciation of the rich smelling brew. Grabbing a mug from cupboard beside the machine he poured some and tasted it, a slow smile lit his face at the rich taste. Apparently the NAPS instructors didn't skimp on the necessities. Then opened his cell punched in the speed dial number for Ducky.

"Hey Duck anything else turn up in the forensics?"

"You were right about the bench slats being responsible for the tearing and the splinters embedded in the anal walls something the earlier victim didn't have to deal with he had a metal pipe used on him. About this earlier mystery victim..."

"Ducky..." Gibbs tried to interrupt the coroner while trying to avoid thinking about the details of DiNozzo's assault.

"It's quite a wonder the he survived, the blood tests showed alcohol along with large quantities of rohypnol. The volume of rohypnol itself would have rendered him unconscious for a long period of time but mixing that amount in with alcohol could have been fatal. You know the effects are quite interesting..."

"Yes Ducky. I know the effects of rohypnol."

"Ah yes of course Jethro."

"Anything else come up?"

"Unfortunately no. whoever it was they were very through at not leaving any traces for us to find. We'll keep at it though and I called Abby and sent her the full reports to see if she can come up with anything. I'll let you know as if we get anything."

"Thanks Duck."

Gibbs hung up, drained the contents of his mug then refilled it and left the break room. On his way back he ran into a young man in the corridor holding two pizza boxes. "Can I help you?"

"I'm looking for an Agent Gibbs?"

"That's me." Gibbs shifted his coffee to his other hand and pulled out his wallet awkwardly pulling out the necessary money.

"Normally we don't deliver to you outside of the field office." The delivery boy took the money and waited until Gibbs repocketed his wallet before handing him the boxes.

"We're not from the field office." Gibbs shook his head when the boy offered him his change.

*

"Here's the list of the names from the gates."

"Thanks McGee." Kate took a page and began scanning down the lists of names looking for either of the two unaccounted for names. "Pull up a chair and help me look the only people that have had access to the file that we haven't accounted for are a lab tech by the name of David Andrews and an agent called Duane Forbes."

It took the two agents several minutes to read down each page of names and then repeat the process for all the gates.

"Anything?" Kate asked as she set the last page down.

"No." McGee stood up and stretched. "Unless they didn't sign in under their real names they weren't on base at the time of the murder."

"McGee?" Gibbs walked balancing his mug of coffee on top of the pizza boxes and frowned at the young agent who got up to take the boxes from Gibbs. "Where's DiNozzo?"

"Uh.. He's still in the office, still going through the database. I thought you'd wanted the lists as soon as possible." McGee took an involuntary step backwards as Gibbs glared at him. He looked at Kate in confusion as Gibbs turned away, put his the pizza box down and opened his cell phone, Kate just shrugged, the same confusion on her face.

"Damn it." Gibbs snapped his phone shut and grabbed his jacket. "Come on."

"What? Where?"

"To find DiNozzo, he's not answering his phone."

The two younger agents scrambled to follow their boss as he left the room at a near run.

Gibbs flung the door of the office open not seeing his agent. "DiNozzo?" Gibbs looked round the empty office the only answer to his question was the hum of the computers.

"He must have finished what he was working on and left or found something and went to check it out." Kate and McGee stood in the doorway.

"No." Gibbs fished his cell out of his pocket and punched redial. "He wouldn't just have left without us."

"Gibbs what is..." Kate trailed off at the sound of a ringing phone. Gibbs stalked round the various desks tracking the source. He reached under a desk and held up a ringing phone then cancelled the call.

"Well that explains why he didn't answer it, he left it behind."

"No." McGee flushed as Kate turned to frown at him. "Uh.. Tony wasn't working at that desk, he was over there." McGee pointed to a computer across the room.

Gibbs ignored the pair as he moved to look at the blank screen then glanced up at McGee. "Can you find out what files he was working on?"

"Yes." McGee slid into the seat in front of Gibbs and pulled the keyboard to him. A few keystrokes later he had a list of all the files accessed that day.

Gibbs nudged McGee's shoulder to get him out of the chair and let him sit down. Reading down the list of files he ignored the earliest ones recognising them as the staff lists he'd seen DiNozzo printing earlier. Scrolling further down he frowned at some of the file names and opened them finding the list of students for 04/05 and 90/91. Clicking on the last few files produced several photograph albums for the "Class of '91. The first held images of the years sports teams while the second contained more formal pictures taken of various the various Platoons in their uniforms, the final album contained images from the graduation ball and ceremony. Gibbs ignored the last and scanned down the first finding DiNozzo in several of the team photographs before moving to the second album and doing the same, peripherally aware of McGee and Todd moving to look over his shoulder.

Beneath the formal Company and Platoon pictures were more informal pictures of the students in class and in other areas of NAPS.

"Is that Tony?" Kate asked as Gibbs paused to look at a picture more closely wondering what had caught his attention. "It is. Did you know about this?"

Gibbs stayed silent staring at the picture that showed DiNozzo and several other students messing about in one of the common rooms feeling ice settle in his guts.

"Gibbs?"

"That's Shaw." Gibbs pointed to the image of the Newport agent standing in the background of the picture.

"And?"

Gibbs stood forcing the younger agents to step back and checked his weapon.

"Gibbs? What is this about?" Kate demanded.

Gibbs shot her a strange look and headed for the door.

"Oh god." She paled as the reason for Gibbs' strange behaviour hit her.

"What?" McGee was still looking confused.

"It was DiNozzo."

"What?! He couldn't have he wasn't here!" McGee looked horrified.

Kate shot him a confused look as she moved to follow Gibbs out the door then realised McGee had the wrong end of the stick. "No, the earlier victim, it was Tony."

End Part 3.

Finished 7/1/2005


	4. Part Four

"Did you see where they went?" Gibbs leaned over the desk in the foyer towards the clearly terrified student on duty.

"No Sir."

"Damn." Gibbs hit the desk with his fist making the teenager scoot backwards in his chair.

"Gibbs?" Kate interrupted before Gibbs could refocus on the student.

"Shaw took DiNozzo outside."

"They left about 15 minutes ago. The blonde agent said Agent DiNozzo wasn't feeling well and needed some fresh air. He really didn't look well." The boy told her seemingly relieved to have Gibbs' attention off him for the moment.

"Maybe he really wasn't feeling well, and they did go out for some fresh air..." McGee trailed off as Gibbs glared at him.

"They aren't outside and Shaw's car has gone. Dammit, I shouldn't have left him I told him he had to stay with one of us at all times!"

McGee flinched at the implications of that statement.

"What building did the assault take place in?"

"Uh the gym. Wasn't it?" McGee looked to Kate for confirmation.

"Which one?" Gibbs glared at McGee.

"Is everything all right here? I heard shouting." Commander Wood eyed the three agents and the beleaguered student warily.

"Fine." Gibbs snapped then paused, turning to look the XO. "Commander, the earlier assault, you don't remember which gym it happened in?"

"302. It's the secondary gym, up near the BEQ. Why?"

Gibbs ignored the question and looked back at his remaining team members. "Let's go!" He snapped.

"You know where the gym is?" Kate asked while hurrying to keep up with Gibbs.

"We passed it this morning." Gibbs stopped at the car he'd arrived in earlier before remembering DiNozzo had the keys. He moved over to the car Kate had driven earlier and clicked his fingers at her. "Keys!"

"Here." She dug them out of her purse and tossed them to him. Gibbs unlocked the car and slid in waiting until he heard the other doors close before backing up and squealing out of the parking lot almost sending Kate tumbling into his lap.

"Call Adams, let him know we need to find Shaw. McGee call the gates and tell them not to let Shaw off base."

The two agents made their calls while trying to brace themselves in their seats every time Gibbs swung around a corner.

"The gates report Shaw hasn't left and they'll stop him if he tries to." McGee said as Gibbs hit the brakes catapulting the agent into the back of Kate's seat.

"He's here." Gibbs pointed at a car just up the road. "That's Shaw's car."

The three agents climbed out of the car and pulled out their weapons before running up to the front door of the gym and carefully going in. The sight of the three agents, guns in hand startled a group of students waiting in the main hall way outside the Weight Coach's office.

"NCIS." Gibbs pulled out his badge and showed it to the nervous students dropping his gun down to his side as he approached.

"Can I help you?" The instructor came out of his office to stand between the students and the agents.

Gibbs flashed his badge again and holstered his weapon. "NCIS. We need into to the basement. How'd we get access?"

"The only access to the basement is the doors round the side of the building."

Gibbs turned to leave and Kate nodded her thanks to the instructor.

"Wait!" The coach called. "The doors are always kept locked. The outside door has a self-locking mechanism."

"Do you have the keys?"

"One minute." The coach turned back into his office and dug in his desk drawer for the correct key ring.

"Go into the locker room and stay there." He told the student as he re-joined the agents in the hallway.

The coach led the way out of the building and along the path at the side of the gym round to the double doors leading to the basement. At the doors Gibbs held out his hand for the keys.

"There's a set of steps going down as soon as you go in after that there's a series of rooms going off each side of the corridor. The lighting isn't great, but the switch is just inside the door." The coach warned holding out the keys by the key for the outer doors.

"What's in them?" Gibbs took the keys carefully, keeping hold of the uppermost key.

"Not much, some old exercise equipment, spare weights and benches. The boiler room is right at the end of the corridor."

"And this is the only way in and out?"

"Yes."

"Thank you. Can you go back inside and make sure no-one comes out here?"

"Will do."

Gibbs waited until the coach disappeared back round the corners before putting the key in the left-hand door and pulling his gun. Kate and McGee redrew their weapons and took up position against the opposite door.

"Ready?" Gibbs asked.

The younger agents nodded and Gibbs pulled the door open. The three agents peered into the dim interior of the basement. Not seeing anything moving Kate moved round the door and into the basement pausing at the top of the steps to better view the basement floor.

"All clear." She called back quietly.

McGee came forward onto the steps to cover her as she moved over and switched the corridor lights on.

With the lights on Gibbs moved onto the narrow landing as well letting the door close gently behind him.

"You know which store room it was?" Kate asked.

Gibbs shook his head and moved quietly down the steps past McGee looking for any evidence of recent disturbance. McGee came down the rest of the stairs and Kate moved to join them when Gibbs turned to look up at her and motioned for her to go back up.

"Kill the lights." Gibbs hissed up at her.

Kate frowned but did as she was told plunging the basement into darkness broken only by the exit sign over the double doors and a small square of blue light somewhere at the other end of the corridor. From below her she heard someone move.

"Gibbs?" She peered down the steps in front of her to where she knew the older man was.

"Found them."

"What?"

Gibbs fished a penlight out of his pocket and turned it on to see Kate frowning on at him. In answer to her question he turned and traced the beam along the floor to a faint patch of light spilling out from under one of the storeroom doors along the right hand wall.

Moving the beam back Gibbs counted the doors along the wall.

"Turn the lights back on Kate and let's move."

Kate flipped the switch again and took a moment to let her eyes readjust before joining Gibbs and McGee as they moved further into the corridor.

Reaching the door, they'd seen the light from Kate and McGee took up defensive positions to cover Gibbs as he tried the handle and finding it unlocked pushed it open slowly.

The heavy door opened inward smoothly revealing four steps down into the room and a pile of boxes stacked on the concrete floor along the wall to the right. The rest of the large room was hidden from view by the open door. Gibbs slowly moved down the steps and peered round the door into the room, wary of his lower legs being exposed under the bottom of the door. Seeing nothing Gibbs stepped onto the floor. The room contained multiple piles of boxes that blocked a complete view of the room. Gibbs frowned looking for any sign of his missing agent.

"Anything?" Kate whispered in his ear as she moved onto the steps behind him.

Gibbs shook his head and moved further into the room staying close to the wall. Turning back he motioned for McGee to stay at the door to keep an eye on the corridor and keep the door from slamming shut. He pointed for Kate to move into the room away from the wall.

The pair progressed further into the storeroom keeping one eye on each other as they negotiated the obstacles in the room.

An odd metallic grating noise sounded near the back of the room Gibbs glanced across at Kate who appeared from behind a large box marked as gym equipment. Gibbs pointed to a row of metal shelving units blocking their view of the back wall and indicated Kate should take the far side while Gibbs went round the near side.

Back at the door McGee watched the senior agents move purposely towards the back of the room and tightened his grip on his own weapon.

Reaching the shelving Gibbs crouched and glanced round the end unit aware of Kate doing the same across the room.

Not ten feet away from him DiNozzo lay sprawled awkwardly on the floor, from his position Gibbs couldn't tell if the younger agent was alive or not. He lay on his front, his right arm trapped under him, his head twisted to one side facing the back wall and Gibbs could see blood staining the back of his jacket and the ground under his head.

Shaw was standing over DiNozzo's body with an iron bar in his hand staring transfixed at his victim.

"Shaw?" Gibbs straightened and stepped round the crates keeping his gun trained on the blond man.

Shaw startled and looked up at Gibbs his face twisting with anger for a moment before smiling pleasantly.

"Step away from him and put the bar down." Gibbs' voice was cold

"Agent Gibbs..." Shaw took a couple of paces away from DiNozzo putting his hands in the air but keeping hold of the bar. "You're a military man, you can understand."

"Understand what?" Gibbs raised an eyebrow at the earnest expression on Shaw's face.

"That people like him don't have any place here. They can't be trusted."

"And if I told you you're wrong?"

"I'm never wrong!" Shaw screamed tightening his grip on the bar and taking a step forward.

"Put the bar down!" Gibbs barked the command. He could see Shaw visibly struggle with his emotions before calming again and reaching out to set the bar on a shelf and action that turned his body away from Gibbs. The bar clattered onto the shelf and Shaw spun back to face Gibbs revealing his gun gripped in his right hand.

"Don't be an idiot Shaw."

The man just shrugged and aimed the weapon and DiNozzo. Before Gibbs could react a shot rang out and Shaw slumped to the ground blood quickly soaking through the back his jacket.

Kate pushed herself up from her crouched position at the end of the shelves lowering her gun from firing position but still keeping it trained on Shaw.

Leaving Kate to deal with Shaw, Gibbs moved to DiNozzo's side.

"He's dead." Kate stood and stepped away from the corpse.

"Tony?" Gibbs crouched down by the prone body and touched his shoulder. When DiNozzo remained unresponsive he slid his hand round to press against the pulse point. "McGee! Call Ducky and tell him to send an ambulance."

"Yes boss!" McGee called back sounding stressed.

Gibbs shifted to a kneeling position and looked Tony over seeing blood in his hair and a lump at the back of his head. Gibbs lightly ran a hand over the back of his skull finding a small cut buried in hair that was still bleeding sluggishly to one side of the bump.

"Gibbs?"

"He's alive." Gibbs ran a hand over DiNozzo's back and arms searching for any other injuries.

"Ducky says he's on his way." McGee appeared round the end of the shelves; weapon still clutched in his hand.

Gibbs fished in his jacket pocket and produced the basement keys. "Go open the doors and let them in. And find something to jam the door open with."

"Yes boss." McGee stared at DiNozzo's unmoving form in horror.

"Now McGee."

"Right." He turned and all but ran from the room.

Gibbs turned his attention back to DiNozzo and pulled off his jacket bundling it up and gently lifted DiNozzo's head to push the jacket under it.

"Should we move him?" Kate joined Gibbs beside her partner.

A soft groan caught their attention as DiNozzo beginning to stir.

"Hey. Easy, easy." Gibbs put a gentle hand on his shoulder to limit the restless movements. The body under his hand tensed and went still.

"DiNozzo?" Gibbs leaned forward to see the younger man's eyes flutter open. "Hey. Nice to have you back with us."

DiNozzo relaxed again at the words and moved his free hand up to rub at his eyes before trying to roll over.

"Don't." Gibbs warned.

"My head hurts."

"Yeah you took quite a knock on it by the looks of it. Anywhere else hurt?"

DiNozzo seemed to consider this for a moment. "No. Nothing beyond a few bruises anyway."

"Sure?"

DiNozzo nodded then hissed as his head objected to the movement. He stayed still for a moment letting the pain recede a little then tried to push himself off the floor.

"Whoa easy." Gibbs grabbed DiNozzo's shoulder to still him.

"I want to sit up."

"Okay." Gibbs though for a moment about the best way to move Tony.

"Maybe we should wait for the ambulance." Kate interjected.

"Up." DiNozzo insisted.

"Okay. We roll you on to your back, then Kate, you take his hands and pull him upright."

Kate stepped over DiNozzo's legs and crouched in front of him while Gibbs eased his hand under Tony's neck, careful not to jostle him or brush against the bruising.

"Ready?"

Tony closed his eyes and rolled over on to his back while Gibbs kept his head steady. Once over Kate grabbed both of his hands and they eased him into a sitting position. Once up the world seemed to tilt and spin alarmingly and he lost all sense of his surroundings.

"Gibbs." Kate warned as Tony lost what little colour that remained in his face.

"Move him against the wall." Gibbs let DiNozzo's had fall forward slightly and gripped him under the arm

"Shouldn't we lay him back down."

"He'll only try and get up again. Hey Tony. You still with us?" Gibbs asked.

"Yeah." Was the slurred reply.

Gibbs met Kate's gave over DiNozzo's bowed head and together they moved him round and back the short distance until his back rested against the wall. Gibbs sat back beside him letting DiNozzo's weight settle against his shoulder. The three of them sat there a moment before Tony took a shuddering breath and raised his knees up to rest his arms and forehead on them.

From her place on Tony's right Kate could see where the rough concrete had cut into his cheek. She pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and gently dabbed at the cuts.

DiNozzo's eyes slitted open and he watched her for a few seconds before closing them again.

Out in the corridor a door slammed shut the noise making the three agents flinch. Gibbs jerked his head towards the door indicating Kate should check it out while trying not to jostle DiNozzo who was still leaning against his side.

"Any better?" He asked gently when Kate was out of earshot.

DiNozzo slowly turned his face towards Gibbs and pain filled hazel eye opened to peer at him. "Who are you?"

Gibbs' felt like he'd been punched in the gut and he swallowed harshly.

"And where's the real Gibbs?" Tony finished trying desperately to keep from smirking at the horrified expression on his boss' face. He winced as the knot at the back of his head twinged and let his eyes slid shut again.

"Don't do that." Gibbs growled automatically lifting a hand to clip him on the head then dropping it before it made contact.

"Jethro?" Ducky appeared round the shelves following Kate. He frowned when he saw DiNozzo sitting up leaning against Gibbs and the wall.

"Hey Ducky." Tony lifted his head carefully to greet the M.E. with a tight smile.

"How do you feel Anthony."

"Head's sore."

Ducky leant down to examine the back of DiNozzo's head.

"Dizzy? Nauseous?"

"A little, it's okay if I don't move too quickly. Owww!" He objected as Ducky ran a hand over the bump.

"I don't think anything it's anything worse than a concussion and those cuts, but we'll get it checked out when the ambulance gets here."

More noise out in the corridor announced the arrival of the EMT's from the base hospital.

Gibbs got up and moved away from DiNozzo when the EMT's came to crouch on either side crossing to where Ducky and Kate were leaning over Shaw's body, gloves on, starting the preliminary examination.

"It was a clean shot."

"Good. There won't be any difficulty then." Gibbs watched them taking the pictures for a minute. "Get Adams to send a team over here and let them clean up their own mess. I want to head home ASAP."

Kate looked up from the camera. "McGee's outside calling them. He's also letting everyone upstairs know they can leave."

"Excuse me?" The senior EMT came over, giving the corpse a curious glance before catching Gibbs' eye. "I think he's just got a mild concussion, but I want a doctor to look at the bump on the back of his head and maybe get a x-ray."

"Right. I'll meet you at the base hospital."

The medic hesitated. "He's, ah, refusing to go."

"DiNozzo..."

"Yes boss?" Tony winced as he turned his head too quickly.

"Hospital DiNozzo."

"I'm fine boss, nothing a couple of Tylenol wouldn't cure."

"We'll let the doctors decide that."

"Yes boss." DiNozzo sighed, defeated.

The EMT's helped him up and waited for a few seconds for him to steady then escorted him from the room.

Gibbs watched them go and turned back to Kate. "Kate make a report to Adams and tell him we'll finish the reports back in Washington. Then pack up I'll call you about the flight details. The proper copy of DiNozzo's file is in the desk in my room." Gibbs handed her the keys, grabbed his jacket off the floor and followed the EMT's out.

At the hospital the Doctor ran the basic diagnostic tests again and agreed with the medic's suggestion and sent DiNozzo down to Radiology then threw Gibbs out into the waiting room where he made the necessary calls.

"The doctor's happy enough to release DiNozzo unless something shows up in the x-ray. We'll meet you at the airport." Gibbs ignored the pointed glare he received from the duty nurse as he finished using his cell phone. Dropping it into the pocket of his jacket, which was sitting on the windowsill beside him, he turned to look out over the base and picked up the plastic cup of a substance the vending machine claimed was coffee. Not convinced Gibbs crossed back to the machine and poured the remaining liquid down the drain.

"Agent Gibbs, How is Agent DiNozzo?"

Gibbs turned to see Director Adams standing just inside the waiting room door.

"Concussed." He said shortly throwing the cup in the bin and moving back to his position by the window.

"Will you be staying on base?"

"No. As soon as DiNozzo is released we're heading home the others are already. We'll send you copies of everything."

"Of course." Adams hesitated for a moment before walking over to Gibbs at the window. "I did some checking back though Shaw's previous locations it seems there where several other unsolved murders happening while he was in the areas." Adams looked Gibbs in the eye. "I'm sorry this ever happened."

"So am I." Gibbs stared out the window again effectively dismissing the director, keenly aware when Adams gave up and left the room.

A few minutes after the door closed behind Adams the door to the consulting rooms opened and DiNozzo joined him at the window.

"Everything OK?"

"Yeah one hell of a headache but everything checks out ok."

"Good." Gibbs picked up his jacket and palmed the car keys.

Tony leaned his head back against the cool glass. "The doctor suggested I should take a few days off."

Gibbs turned his head to look at the younger agent and smiled. "Not a chance DiNozzo. Though if you're not up to normal field work I'm sure we can find something round the office for you to do."

DiNozzo made a face. "I'm sure I'll be fine." He said dryly.

"Come on. Plane leaves in just over an hour." Gibbs led the way out of the hospital to the car.

END

Finished 13/1/2005

**Author's Note:**

> Unbeta'd and written in 2004


End file.
